Vehicle body



Dec. 8, 1931. HOTTEL 1,835,049

VEHICLE BODY Filed Dec. 12, 1927 Ill 11v VEIQTOR 1g, 4 BY MY #07771.

69 A TTORNE Y\ Patented Dec. 8, 1931 UNITEDISTA'TES- PATENT OFFICE RAYHOTTEL, OF YDETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO CHRYSLER CORPORATION, OF

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE VEHICLE BODY Applicationfiled December 12, 1927. Serial No. 239,281.

This invention relates to a vehicle seat construction and moreparticularly to an arm rest therefor.

An automobile seat is usually made having a width to accommodate threepassengers.

sengers are seated and which may be swung out of the way foraccommodatlng a tlnrd passenger or when its use is not desired.

'Another object of the invention is to pivot the arm rest from the seatback and to form vit in such a manner that when it is in closed positionit appears as one of the plaits of the seat back upholstery; there beingno indication of a swinging member adapted for an arm rest.

When the arm rest in in its closed position it forms a part of the seatback. An opening fully appear from the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through an auto mobile body showing the rearseat in elevational and the arm rest in position for use.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the rear seat taken on line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

.Fig. 3 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. 2 showing the arm restin inoperative position but forming a part of the seat back.

' Fig. 4 is a sectional view through the arm rest.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the hinge for the arm rest.

Referring to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated my invention asapplied to the rear seat of an automobile the reference numeral 10designates an automobile body having a seat cushion 12 and a seat back14, both of which are formed in plaits of padded upholstery, usual inseat construction. Conventional arm rests 16 have been shown on the sidewalls of the body 10.

A centrally located arm rest 18 is adapted to be swung from the seatback 14 and is shown pivoted on a suitable bracket secured to a framemember 20 of the body 10. The bracket comprises a two part hinge. Onepart 22 has a pair of outwardly projecting flanges 24,'spaced to receivethe other part 26 which is provided with lateral flanges 28 pivoted asat 30 to the flanges 24. The part 22 is provided with flanges 32,adapted to be secured to the frame member 20, and an upper portion 34,adapted to engage the upper plate of the part 26 to form a stop for theextreme positions of the arm rest 18.

The part 26 is a part of the arm rest structure and is secured to amember 36, upon which is mounted the usual padding 38 and springs 40,conforming to the shape of the seat back 14. I The arm rest is made thewidth of one plait to appear as a part of the seat back when it is notin use. As a closure for the space between the back'cushions, when thecentral arm rest is in use, I provide a rigid strip 42, hinged as at 44to the arm rest and in a vertical line with the pivot 30 when the armrest is in position for use. The upper end of the rigid strip 42 isprovided with a flexible member 46 which is hinged as at 48 to the upperportion of the seat back 14. A covering 50, corresponding to theupholstery of the seat, is provided on the outer surface of-the twostrips.

It will be understood that when the arm rest is in closed position thestrips 42 and 46 lie between the seat back and the arm rest; the lowerpivot '44 being on a horizontal line with pivot 30. As the arm. rest isswung downwardly the pivot 44 follows the path of an are around thepivot 30 shortening the distance between the two pivot points 44 and 48which causes the flexible member to buckle, thereby presenting a contourwhich corresponds with the contour of the seateback.

' Thus the Opening is closed by the movement of the arm rest." Ifdesired the pivot may be extended forwardly to make the outer surfacesof the closure and seat back flush. While I hav'edescribed what I'deemto be a the preferred'form of my invention, various changes includingsize and arrangementof parts, may be made without departing-from thespirit of my invention. and it is not my.

rest; upon said seatbackwwhereby the arm restmay bemoved outwardly anddownwardly to arm supporting po'sition, and

' means operat ed'by said-arm rest closing the spacerleft-ther eby whensaid arm rest is movedfto arm supporting position, said closing means.conforming to the contour of the outer surface ofsaid seat back when thepadded -member is mas latterposition.

, 21A device-of the class described comprising,a spaced two'partseatback, an arm: rest pivotedjawithrespect to said seat back; adapt-v ed toclose the space betweenwth'e two parts, sa darm 'rest having acontourcorrespondmg to 1 that of the seatback, a rigid member. pi'voted-to saidg'arm rest, a flexible-member connecting; oneend of saidrigid member. and

therear upperedg e ofsaid seat back, said rigid member being positionedon said arm rest to move upwardly andoutwardly' when said'; arm rest isswung downwardly.

3. In a vehiclebody, aseat'backincluding apair of spaced, upholsteredpaddings forming theouter surface of said seat back,- an arm-rest. inthe space between said paddings,

means. pivotally mounting said arm rest upon said seat back, said. armrest being movable outwardly and downwardly to an arm supportingposition, a flexiblejcovering' corre-, sponding to the"upholstery-v ofsaid paddings.

-located in said space, and means operable by said: arm rest for urglngsaid coverlngv out- I wardly' to the contour off said paddin gs so as toclose the space left b ysaid arm rest when th'e'latter i is mo'v'ed'toian arm uppb' na a position. I v .7 '1 v I v 4. In a vehicle body,'aseat'back including a pair of spaced, upholstered padding's formingthe outer'surface of'said seat" back, an 7 armrest in the space betweensaid paddings,

; means pivotally mounting said arm rest' upon said 'seat' back,said armrest being movable outwardly and downwardly to an armsuppontingf'position,=- a flexible covering corres spending to theupholstery of=saidspaddings V located in, said, .spaceis'ecured; atg'oneend to said seat back and at its other end to said arm rest, a rigidmember pivoted to said arm rest, and a a flexible member connecting thefree end of said rigid member and the upper edge of said back rest, saidmembers being lo-r.

'cated. in said space in back of said covering and'adapted to urge thelatter outwardly to the contour of said paddings when said arm 'rest'isin an armsupporting position.

RAY HOTTEL. r

